That's The Way It Is
by FFAMasquerade2005
Summary: Meridon is back in another one shot with her and Erik. Can be read as a stand alone or as a sequel to Dulaman. Please R & R, I am also looking for someone to do some graphic art for my stories...Thanks in advance!


**"That's The Way It Is"**

Erik was making his usual round around the opera house before returning to his underground home to work on his latest masterpiece, a song titled "An Accidental Memory In the Case of Death"1. This song had come from him watching Madame Giry lighting a candle in the local chapel for her husband. She spoke to her husband as if he could hear her, and respond to her from the grave. He cared deeply for Antoinette, but he could never understand this ritual of hers, she knew her husband was dead and gone, yet she continued to spend time with him in the chapel. She knew Erik was there sometimes, she always seemed to know when HE was around, she seemed to have almost as good of a sixth sense as he did, Erik had mused to himself on more that one occasion.

Erik made sure that he walked the entire opera house at least once a day so he would know what was happening in his opera house. He did not like surprises; he liked to be in control of every little detail of his life, including whom he saw on a daily basis. The only people who seemed to not care that he liked his control was Nadir Kahn, who was known around the opera house as simply "The Persian" and Madame Giry. Although Erik would never admit it in a thousand years, he had grown to enjoy these visits from his friends and looked forward to the visits a little to eagerly. It was on one of these uneventful mornings that Erik ran across a young woman whom he had seen before but couldn't quite remember where.

Meridon dunked her rag into the bucket of soapy water again and rang the rag out before putting it across the floor and scrubbing the area with in her arms reach. She had almost finished scrubbing the stage floor, which was the last of her chores for today thankfully. Meridon was a part time maid at the opera house to help her pay for her board and rent, she wasn't like some of the other girls who had wealthy benefactors to provide for their every little want, no she was a working girl and was not ashamed of it.

Meridon had grown up in Ireland on a farm, and from a young age she had helped her Da and brothers with the farm chores, such as collecting egg's from the mean old hens, or helping with the milking of the cows and goats, and when she got older she had helped with the plowing and planting of the crops. Her hands had never been soft and delicate, they had most of the time been covered in dirt, blisters and calluses. Her face was slightly tan with the famous Irish freckles and a head full of curly fiery copper red hair with a temper to match it.

Meridon snapped back to reality when she heard one of the other maids say something to her. "I'm sorry, I wasn't listening, what did you say?" She asked sheepishly.

"I said, I'm done for the day I will see you tomorrow. Child you best get your head out of the clouds and back down on the ground where it belongs, least the phantom gets you." The other maid repeated to Meridon.

"You know that's an old wives tale, about Him killing innocent people for fun. He's not a phantom either, He's got to be a real person." Meridon argued.

The other maid just shook her head and sighed in frustration before walking away leaving Meridon by herself to finish cleaning the stage.

"When will they learn to not let fairy tales get to them? Back home we had much darker stories than that of this 'Ghost' or 'Phantom of The Opera'…" Meridon said to herself, not aware that someone was listening in on her conversation. Meridon continued scrubbing the floor in silence for a few minuets and then quietly started humming to her self a lively tune.

Erik then recognized the women, it was the same one he had seen on the stage in the costume that Christine had worn for the Gala; he hadn't recognized her in the dress, if it could be called that. This so called dress was a dark grey color with short sleeves on it with the hem of the dress falling to her calf's, was all tattered, she wasn't wearing a sweater over it as most of the other women did, he didn't understand how she wasn't cold with it being the dead of winter and the opera house wasn't heated unless there was a show. He knew of only one woman who had that red hair, Meridon. He had forgotten about her after that night, as he had been busy with teaching Christine to sing better, and trying to persuade her to leave that young fop name Raoul.

Erik made a note to find out more information on this Meridon character; he didn't like not knowing her background. He remembered she had a nice singing voice, not as good as his Christine's mind you, but it was still nice enough to listen to, unlike Carlotta; who's voice could only be described as nails on a chalk board with an out of tune piano. He decided he needed to be closer to her in order to study her better, not because her found her pretty he told him self. As he made his way closer to her he heard her humming a lively tune, he didn't recognize it but that didn't matter, he was now more interested in how she sang her song. Erik chose his spying place well, just above Meridon in the catwalks he could sit and watch with out fear of being seen.

Merdion stopped humming and started singing, quietly at first, just above a whisper "I can read your mind and I know your story…I see what you're going through…It's an uphill climb, and I'm feeling sorry…but I know it will come to you" She stopped singing for a minute and pushed a stray piece of hair back behind her ear, she then got stood up and proceeded to grab the bucket of soapy water and moving on to the next section of the stage that needed scrubbing before continuing her song.  
"Don't surrender 'cause you can win…in this thing called love…" Meridon's voice started to crescendo as the song came to it's chorus "When you want it the most there's no easy way out…When you're ready to go and your heart's left in doubt…don't give up on your faith…Love comes to those who believe it…and that's the way it is…"

'_Love comes to those who believe it. What a joke, this thing called love isn't real it's just an illusion to help you get through the day. But at the end of the day your on your own, and alone.'_ Meridon thought to her self, trying not to dwell on memories of the past, she continued the song while she kept her hands busy.

"When you question me for a simple answer…I don't know what to say, no…but it's plain to see, if you stick together…You're gonna find a way, yeah…So don't surrender 'cause you can win…In this thing called love"

Erik was making mental notes about Meridon's pitch and other things while she was signing, unaware that she was being watched. She had a good voice to start with, if she had a few lessons she would be able to secure a role as a soloist for his company. She wouldn't be able to wear those rags to an audition though, _'no, she would have to find something more suitable to wear' _he thought to him self. This song seemed to be a perfect match for her domineer and voice range. She wasn't struggling to hit the notes, or butchering them, his ears were happy for the change.

Meridon finished scrubbing the floor and tossed her rag back into the bucket where it made a loud splash. She stood up and took off her shoes and walked to the middle of the stage and started dancing as she sang.

"When you want it the most there's no easy way out…When you're ready to go and your heart's left in doubt…don't give up on your faith…love comes to those who believe it…and that's the way it is…When life is empty with no tomorrow…and loneliness starts to call…Baby, don't worry, forget your sorrow…'Cause love's gonna conquer it all, all…"

Meridon had not always been a graceful child, but as she grew into a young lady she had inherited her mothers grace, and slim figure, a winning combination for a ballerina. She had started taking lessons when she was just growing into her body, she had a natural talent for picking up combinations quickly, a talent the ballet mistress had said was the makings for a prima ballerina. Right now though she was just a dancer in the ballet corps, nothing special, but she knew if she kept practicing that she would be noticed and receive the promotion that she deserved.

"When you want it the most there's no easy way out…When you're ready to go and your heart's left in doubt…Don't give up on your faith…Love comes to those who believe it…and that's the way it is…When you want it the most there's no easy way out…When you're ready to go and your hears left in doubt…Don't give up on your faith…Love comes to those who believe it…and that's the way it is…That's the way it is…That's the way it is babe…Don't give up on your faith…Love comes to those who believe it…and that's the way it is."2 Meridon finished the song and went to wrap up her dance with a triple pirouette, only to realize to late that the floor in the front part of the stage was still wet. She lost her balance and went slipping and sliding across the floor, landing on her ankle instead of the toes as she was supposed to.

She couldn't believe her luck! The day before the auditions and she couldn't even do a single pirouette, some dancer she was. How could she have forgotten that the floor was still wet in some areas? She knew the answer before she even finished asking her self the question; she had a very bad habit of becoming lost in her dancing when she was practicing or on the stage. She attempted to get up, silently thanking who ever was listening that no one had been around to see her stumble like this. As she slowly got up and attempted to walk over to her bucket, she took on step and fell back down, thankfully putting her hands out in front of her in time so as not to hit her face on the floor. She wasn't sure what had just happened, and then just as suddenly as the thought came to her mind a shooting pain started in her ankle traveling up her leg! She bit her lip in order to keep from crying out, it felt like someone was taking knives and stabbing her in the ankle. She wouldn't let her self be weak though, a sprained ankle wasn't going to keep her from auditioning tomorrow. She would dance no matter what, she tried convincing her self as she tried getting up and walking again.

Erik watched in fascination as Meridon danced with such grace and beauty, a grace that couldn't be taught a person. He could see her as a Prima Ballerina, and made sure that he would be present at the ballet auditions tomorrow and watch her. Normally he let Antoinette deal with the ballet auditions he was more interested in the singers and the musicians. He was just about to give her a round of well-deserved applause, when he saw her slip on a section of the floor that was still wet and fall on her ankle instead of her feet.  
He watched as she attempted to get up and walk off the stage as if nothing happened, but to his dismay he saw her fall again (and this time let out a curse word that he did not hear often from woman) he also saw her bite her lip in order to stop the tears that were forming in her eyes from falling. He watched in disbelief as the foolish women tried to get up a second time, she was going to injure her self even more is she kept trying to force her self to walk on it.

He finally had to say something when he saw her try to get up for a third time, "Stop trying to get up. Have you not realized you foolish woman that you are unable to put pressure on it? If you continue forcing your self you will only further injure your self and possibly cause permanent damage. Wait there, on the ground mind you, and I will be down in a moment to help you." Erik couldn't believe him self, here he was helping the gypsy brat because he felt something stir inside of him when he saw her dancing. He must be going soft, Nadir better not get word of this brief moment of kindness, or he would never hear the end of it.

* * *

In Text Notes:

1. Played by Eluvium

2. Sung by Celien Dion


End file.
